A long-time foreign policy expert in Washington, Antony Blinken has been thrust into the national spotlight with his recent work speaking with leaders in Israel and the Middle East.
After terror attacks by Hamas militants killed 1,400 Israelis on October 7, Israel responded with a declaration of war, airstrikes in Gaza, and evacuation orders for Palestinians. In the middle of this situation, Blinken has engaged in marathon diplomacy throughout the Middle East, doing what he can to prevent further escalation.
President Joe Biden's visit to Israel on October 18, was partly attributed to the work of Blinken, who joined the president in Tel Aviv. Before Biden arrived in Israel, Blinken had traveled to six Arab states between his visits to Israel.
Growing up in the United States and France, Blinken was interested in foreign affairs, and his family has long had ties to American foreign policy. His father was a US Ambassador to Hungary, and his uncle was a US Ambassador to Belgium.
Before working as the top US diplomat in the Biden administration, Blinken worked on Capitol Hill for two decades under the Clinton and Obama administrations.